With Vidic injured and VDS retired, we needed his leadership at the back. He hasnt been at his imperious best, but the fact that he has been available for large parts of the season has been vital.
He isnt going anywhere.

I agree with the running bit. He's clearly still a very very good defender but when henruns it makes me cringe - you can see the back injuries toll on him.
Im notnsuggesting he should stop running mind you

It's incontrovertible, I've half a dozen relatives who have been city fans their entire lives, but never mentioned football before the last couple of years. I'm sure plenty of others will have seen the same.

Expected. Giggs/Scholes must've had it too.
Who will pay a 35 year old 120k/week. He is great.. but that is just unrealistic.. especially with his injuries in recent seasons (Has been fine this year, thankfully)

I hope he signs an extension and I think he will. Only teams that will match those wages are in China or the middle east, and they're probably more likely to throw money at big name strikers. He's got a young family too, can't see him moving them to Beijing for 2 years.

Can't believe no one has bumped this, or a similar thread...his perfect tackle on Yakubu at the near post was incredible. Get that wrong, nailed on penalty, don't tackle, he has what looks like an easy finish.

Even made the last ditch tackle look like a simple task. He looked as fit as I've seen him all season last night, which was surprising after taking a knock last week. Brought the ball out from the back a few times and picked out some really good passes when Blackburn cleared to him. Still one of the best around, in complete control.

The Rio-Evans partnership has been immense and Rio probably hasn't had enough credit for his role in it. Who knows how this season would have turned out if we had mid-week games and Fergie was tempted to give one or other of them the weekend off? Not good, would be my guess.

He looks so awkward when he runs. There was one point he fell over trying to cover Hoillett, it really makes me sad to see.

Still a class defender, but I worry a lot more when he's in one on one situations than I used to.

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Why? For me, he hasn't worsened at all over the years. It's just the injuries that are the problem, not his ability. Everytime he has come into the team after a lay-off he retains his previous form immediately. Still top class and still the best centre half around.

^ i think what bebe meant is that rio is slower these days, which is true and understandable. he is still a top class defender though, his reading of the game certainly helps him a lot in adjusting his game now.

Hasn't received as much praise as he's deserved recently to be honest. Evans has been excellent, but I wouldn't say that Ferdinand has been any worse than him. Plus, I think Rio's experience is a major reason for Evans now looking so comfortable at the back. It's helped him to be constantly playing alongside an experienced defender week in week out.

Nemanja Vidic has described claims earlier this season that Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand was finished as a top-flight force as "nonsense".

With a troublesome back problem restricting appearances for the previous three seasons, his England place taken away by Fabio Capello and a renewed threat at Manchester United following the arrival of Phil Jones, it was thought this season could be the 33-year-old Ferdinand's last at Old Trafford.

However, Vidic was confident those assessments would prove to be incorrect and a series of outstanding performances from Ferdinand - typified by his well timed tackle on Ayegbeni Yakubu that denied the Nigerian a certain goal at Blackburn on Monday - have done exactly that.

"At the beginning of the season there were a lot of people questioning Rio, asking whether he could do what he did in the past, can he play, is he finished?" Vidic said.

"This was nonsense. Rio has hunger and now he has proved people they are wrong.

"He is a very important player, not just this year but over the past years and he has done very well over the last few months."

Ferdinand is one of the foundations upon which United's latest Premier League title challenge has been built.

Yet it all seemed so unlikely when Vidic was carried off on a stretcher with ruptured cruciate ligaments against Basle in December as United crashed out of the Champions League.

Already trailing a rampant Manchester City in the league, with Wayne Rooney and David de Gea among the other more notable figures struggling for form, it was hard to see what positives would emerge from the wreckage of a devastating European exit.

Less than four months on, United are now five points clear of City, Rooney has 28 goals and De Gea has made a succession of vital saves that have ensured the Red Devils have taken maximum advantage of City's slump.

Vidic is still missing of course, but the Serbian is taking pride in his team-mate's achievements.

"I always believed we would challenge for the title," he said. "It doesn't matter who is out. Manchester United never depend on one player.

"If you look at the past, players have left and fans have said how are we going to cope? But the manager is the best at replacing players and the team still win titles and trophies.